Will Barton more than adequately filled in for an injured Wesley Matthews after the shooting guard went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter of the Portland Trail Blazers' 96-91 loss to the Dallas Mavericks Sunday night. Barton not only scored a career-high 22 points, but he also racked up career-highs in rebounds (13), assists (6) and minutes (32) in an otherwise forgettable loss.

The rookie guard out of Memphis has had moments where he's flashed his potential this season, but has mostly been relegated to the end of the bench with limited playing time. He's averaging 10.4 minutes per game on the season.

Barton, for many Trail Blazers fans, continues to be an enigma. While the potential appears to be there for Barton to be successful, he can be a bit too erratic and inconsistent for their liking. Of course, many Trail Blazers fans also make the argument that most of his shortcomings are due to his inexperience and can be fixed with significantly more playing time and offseason development.

Here's a look at what you're saying about Barton's career night and what you see from him in the future:

Barton is one of the ... few Blazers who can make anything happen around the rim. I'd like to see him play more and improve his skills. ... Barton may be raw, but he, [Damian] Lillard and [J.J.] Hickson are the only Blazers who can work effectively around the rim. He can be an asset to the team if he works hard and the team gives him a chance.

The thing that stood out most was his intensity. Where was that at the start of the game? Will needs to add some weight and strength but he'll be a nice addition to the rotation. He can score, he just needs more playing time. ... The potential is there.

Dan Dickau had some good games in the NBA. So did Ime Udoka, Greg Oden, Armon Johnson, even Antonio Harvey. One great game does not make you great. He is still a second rounder who is cheap ... As I said before, he does all right when he stays within the team concept. It's the 1-on-3 that drives me crazy. He will get a chance now with Matthews out, so if he can continue to show that he understands this idea of NBA team basketball, good for him. I will reserve judgement until I see more.

Barton needs a different offensive system. There isn't enough movement here for him, and he has to touch the ball to be effective. [Sunday showed] what wicked athleticism can do for you at the rim. With Barton's wingspan at 6'9 3/4" (Brandon Roy 6'8"; Wes Matthews 6'8 1/4"; Damian Lillard 6'7 3/4").

The problem for Barton is that his skills are pretty much in a straitjacket in Stotts' offense of Lillard-Aldridge [and where] everyone else lines up around the three-point line. It was nice to see a Portland player guard/wing/PF play effectively inside of 10 feet where most basketball games are won and lost.

highhoopiq says it's just a matter of time before Barton really blossoms into something special:

When Portland drafted Barton, I had no clue who he was. After watching highlights of him in college and then summer league games, I was impressed by the potential.

There are lots of things a player must learn (positioning, schemes) or develop (strength, shooting stroke), but there are some that you either have or don't (length, quickness, vertical jump, size of hands, ability to process information) that give a higher ceiling to a player. Barton seems to have many of the things that make me think he has a fairly high potential as an NBA player. I have been disappointed that he hasn't had a greater opportunity to play and make the mistakes that will help him learn the critical things sooner. I am with some that see these increased minutes while Matthews is out as a chance for him to show what he can do, but my hopes aren't too high as I think he needs another off-season to really improve.

Barton needs to get stronger and become a better open shooter from outside of 20 feet. When he gets that aspect, the drives will open up ... His decision making will get better with more experience (duh!) and regular minutes (not feeling as though he has to prove himself every second he is on the court).

I have expressed many times that I think he is in the Portland 8-man rotation next year, coming off the bench along with Matthews and [Meyers] Leonard, I hope, if [Neil] Olshey can find a starting center and shooting guard. [It was] fun watching Barton last night.

Are you a fan of Barton? And, if so, what needs to happen for him to take his game to the next level? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, or continue the discussion in the Blazers Fan Forum.